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    ReferenceSpeed Tests

    All About Zwift’s Bridgestone Anchor RS9s Frame

    Eric Schlange
    By Eric Schlange
    May 21, 2021
    29

    Zwift’s newest update includes a new bike frame: the Anchor RS9s from Japan-based Bridgestone.

    Bridgestone, you say? Yes. They make car tires, but they also make bikes. In fact, they’ve been doing so for a long time, and have made some really nice road and mountain bikes over the years! That said, their distribution network and marketing outside of Japan is not strong. In short: Bridgestone may just be the world’s largest maker of high-end bikes you’ve never heard of.

    This bike’s release corresponds to Zwift’s Makuri Islands Japan-themed map release – our first Japanese frame, and our first Japanese world. This frame is Bridgestone’s top road racing rig (read more about the IRL Bridgestone Anchor RS9s here.) It’s available for only 511,200 Drops on Zwift, for level 15+ Zwifters. The frame description is surprisingly brief in the Drop Shop, though:

    “A high-end bicycle that keeps performance tight.”

    That description is about as generic as they come. And experienced Zwifters know that real-world performance doesn’t necessarily translate to Zwift performance, so at Zwift Insider we run frames and wheelsets through a battery of tests to figure out just how well they perform in Zwift’s virtual world.

    Here’s everything you need to know about the new Bridgestone Anchor RS9s in Zwift…

    The Bridgestone Anchor RS9s, IRL

    Aero Performance

    The Bridgestone Anchor RS9s turns in the same flat test time as several existing frames, including (and this is important for later) the Specialized Tarmac Pro and Cannondale EVO.

    Rated at just two stars for aero performance, we didn’t expect this frame to blow off the doors in our flat test. It turned in a time that places it right in the middle of the aero performance percentile rankings, along with 9 other frames which turned in the same time.

    The Anchor RS9s turned in a time of 51:33 on our test course (two laps of Tempus Fugit). By comparison, the fastest frame in game (Specialized Venge S-Works) turned in a time of 51:18. (Both of these test times were done with Zwift’s stock wheelset, the 32mm carbon).

    Climb Performance

    The Bridgestone Anchor RS9s is rated at 4 stars for weight, so we were excited to test and see how it stacked up against the best climbers in game.

    This frame comes from Bridgestone’s “Anchor” line (it’s written on the top tube), which feels sort of like naming an aero bike “the sail”. But as writers, we can appreciate a little irony.

    Here’s the big news: the Anchor RS9s is a super-nimble climber, turning in the same time on our Alpe tests as the best climbing frames in game (the Specialized Tarmac Pro and Cannondale EVO). That’s right… we’ve got a three-way tie in the best climbing frames category.

    The Bridgestone Anchor RS9s turned in an Alpe du Zwift time of 48:58. By comparison, the standard Zwift aero frame turns in a time of 49:31. (Both of these test times were done with Zwift’s stock wheelset, the 32mm carbon).

    Star Rating Madness?

    Posts like these always bring out the commenters lamenting how Zwift’s simple 4-star rating system doesn’t work. And they have a point: there are two frames in the Drop Shop rated at 4 stars for weight, but 3 for aero – and neither of these frames performs better on our Alpe climbing tests than the three leaders (Specialized Tarmac Pro, Cannondale EVO, and Bridgestone Anchor RS9s).

    It’s not that the system is broken or inaccurate – it’s simply that the 4-star ratings aren’t granular enough to tell us precisely how the frames will really perform.

    Conclusions

    As a result of this frame’s top-notch climbing, we’ve updated the following posts to include the Bridgestone Anchor RS9s:

    • Best Climbing Frames
    • Zwift Shopping Guide: What To Buy At Each Level
    • Fastest Frame and Wheelset for Climbing Alpe du Zwift
    • Zwift Speed Tests: Frame Ranking Charts

    Unfortunately for Bridgestone, the frame is more expensive and level locked higher than the Specialized Tarmac Pro and Cannondale EVO – so there’s no compelling reason to pick it up, unless you’re a Bridgestone bike fan, or want to ride something others aren’t. Still, it’s always fun to get a new top performer in game!

    Questions or Comments?

    Share below!

    Important note: this post contains speed test results for Zwift frames or wheels. These results may change over time, and a bike’s performance relative to others may also change. We don’t always revise posts when performance rankings change, but we do keep current, master versions of our speed test results which are always available. See the frame charts, wheel charts, and Tron vs Top Performers for current performance data.

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      Eric Schlange
      Eric Schlangehttp://www.zwiftinsider.com
      Eric runs Zwift Insider in his spare time when he isn't on the bike or managing various business interests. He lives in Northern California with his beautiful wife, two kids and dog. Follow on Strava

      29 COMMENTS

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      Evan
      Evan
      1 year ago

      A three-way tie for best frame?! To be honest though, if Specialized was dethroned from the top, they would have thrown a fit. Also, we need to move away from star ratings!!! Percentage is way more accurate and also easier to distinguish the better frame from the worst frame.

      3
      Reply
      Paul Himes
      Paul Himes
      1 year ago
      Reply to  Evan

      Which is why I don’t look at the stars and always come to the ZwiftInsider Frame Ranking page before buying a new frame (or choosing one if I think my usual frame might not be the best for a particular race).

      5
      Reply
      Tim
      Tim
      1 year ago
      Reply to  Evan

      I’d wager that ZwiftInsider has enough information to generate estimate weight, CdA and CRR for all bikes and wheels. Though CRR is already known since Zwift has published them.

      0
      Reply
      Derek
      Derek(@dpr4473)
      1 year ago
      Reply to  Evan

      Yeah … I’m sure Zwift will get right on that. Just like the dozens of other worthwhile requests they ignore.

      1
      Reply
      Ricky Dee
      Ricky Dee(@rsduchemin)
      1 year ago

      Cut to the chase… can you change the paint colour?

      11
      Reply
      Paul Himes
      Paul Himes
      1 year ago
      Reply to  Ricky Dee

      That’s the most important question. I bought the Cannondale Evo while in the pen for a TTT up Alpe de Zwift when I already had the Tarmac Pro because I could change the color of the Evo to match my team’s kit and the Tarmac Pro was only available in boring black (and 2 of my teammates were riding it – it’s useful for your avatars to be easily told apart in TTT to make sure rotations work). The fact that it was super cheap and I was at a level where there was nothing else to buy didn’t hurt.

      3
      Reply
      Eric Schlange
      Author
      Top Member
      Eric Schlange(@eschlange)
      1 year ago
      Reply to  Ricky Dee

      You cannot!

      1
      Reply
      bolanbiker
      bolanbiker(@bolanbiker)
      1 year ago
      Reply to  Eric Schlange

      Shame, since IRL they claim to have 32 colors available (including ATP pink).

      4
      Reply
      Tom
      Tom
      1 year ago

      Surely having all frames equal would make more sense for zwift so that people could pick the one they like rather than obsessing over a few seconds, or everyone essentially rising the same one as it’s best

      3
      Reply
      M. d. s. Günther
      M. d. s. Günther
      1 year ago
      Reply to  Tom

      That would essentially remove the incentive behind the drop shop. Like it or not, many come to posts like these because we want to know if we can get an edge somewhere, not to see how the frame looks. And why would Zwift remove something from the game that we obsess over. It makes less sense if anything.

      0
      Reply
      Viktor
      Viktor(@viktor_icarus)
      1 year ago
      Reply to  M. d. s. Günther

      People would still buy the frames they like though. In fact, people might be more inclined to buy and use more bikes because you’re not penalised for doing so like you are right now.

      2
      Reply
      M. d. s. Günther
      M. d. s. Günther
      1 year ago
      Reply to  Viktor

      Well i know for a fact that there are people who ride bikes in Zwift just because of brand or style. But i would argue that the vast majority does not care about that. I stand by my point that it would just remove an engaging factor out of the game. You can still ride the frame you enjoy in non-competitive environments right now, so the only thing you would really gain is that newer players are less penalized in races for not having a Tron or something like that.

      0
      Reply
      Jimmy
      Jimmy
      1 year ago
      Reply to  M. d. s. Günther

      Agree, the drop shop would be pointless if the frames didn’t mean anything. I wish they’d actually go a step further and start making the helmets etc do something, such as improve aero, so it gives us other things to buy and add to the mix. Who knows, maybe even go to the point of making tyres get worse with age and so make a need to buy new ones in the drop shop. Would at least give some additional reason to it, especially for the high level riders who simply end up with millions of drops and nothing to… Read more »

      1
      Reply
      Taicho Cyclist
      Taicho Cyclist(@cyclistsg)
      1 year ago

      Time to go shopping…

      0
      Reply
      Sammy Knockaert
      Sammy Knockaert
      1 year ago

      It’s becoming time that Zwift allows us to create some “favorite” bike setups, and bind them to some shortcut keys. Via this way, you could prepare some frame and wheel combo’s to be used in-game, and making swapping bikes easier. Now you have a garage, but each item frame or wheels is not linked, and changing is a hastle.

      21
      Reply
      M4rk0
      M4rk0
      1 year ago
      Reply to  Sammy Knockaert

      This would be so welcomed.

      1
      Reply
      Gregg
      Gregg
      1 year ago

      Off topic. My first proper bike I bought while in college(mid-90’s) was a Bridgestone touring bike. I wish I had kept it.

      1
      Reply
      Dan Connelly
      Dan Connelly
      1 year ago

      Great work! The top 3 climbers are each rim brake bikes. It makes sense to not try to put too fine a detail on ratings, since IRL frame weight depends so strongly on size and on paint,and different manufactures use different sizing options, so you can’t equalize for that, so this lets players exercise some style/brand choices without penalty. No bike commonly sold today is lighter than an unpainted 2013 Cannondale Evo with similar components (and my 2008 Fuji is at most 100 grams heavier). Disc brakes are always heavier than rim brakes all other things equal.

      0
      Reply
      Ian M
      Ian M
      1 year ago

      Going to wait on any “top tier” equipment for a nerf after getting hosed on the Aeroad 2021.

      0
      Reply
      Tim
      Tim
      1 year ago
      Reply to  Ian M

      Hopefully you already have one of the other top climbers, so no need for this frame! And the aeroad is still a top frame, it’s just no longer a notch above all other frames.

      0
      Reply
      gil_santamaria
      gil_santamaria
      1 year ago

      Thanks Éric…Need to update “WHEEL AND FRAME PERFORMANCE SCATTER PLOTS FOR ZWIFTERS” too

      0
      Reply
      Eric Schlange
      Author
      Top Member
      Eric Schlange(@eschlange)
      1 year ago
      Reply to  gil_santamaria

      Done!

      1
      Reply
      Thomas Christiansen
      Thomas Christiansen
      1 year ago
      Reply to  Eric Schlange

      How about adding the ZIPP 353NSW scatter plot too?
      (and in the Tron vs top performing frame/wheel plot)
      Thanks

      0
      Reply
      Carsten
      Carsten
      1 year ago

      Thanks Eric again ! So fast can be a car tire as a bike frame 😉 .
      It’s good to have a tie between 3 frames, so we’ll see some different brands on ADZ.

      What about the test results for the new Roval Rapide wheels ? I hope they will be good allrounders.

      0
      Reply
      Eric Schlange
      Author
      Top Member
      Eric Schlange(@eschlange)
      1 year ago
      Reply to  Carsten

      Post coming out tomorrow. They’re nothing special in terms of test results…

      0
      Reply
      Hansel
      Hansel
      1 year ago

      Guess we’ll see quite a few of these with a super easy unlock for the Olympics events in June. I was just about to pick up my Tarmac Pro when that news came out. Might just rock the Bridgestone for now.

      2
      Reply
      Rich
      Rich
      1 year ago

      Not so much an incentive for me since I’ve already the Tarmac Pro, but the wife will be super stoked to save her drop points and get one of the best climbing frames a little early – for free!

      2
      Reply
      Claas
      Claas
      1 year ago
      Reply to  Rich

      …and now she can even earn it by simply completing one of the Olympic Virtual Series rides 😉

      2
      Reply
      Manabu
      Manabu
      1 year ago

      Just got this bike by just pedaling for 1 hour with the Olympic podcast. Mostly limited time, but it would be free for just an “hour” of “work”.

      1
      Reply
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